Java EE 7 officially launches, bringing HTML5 and WebSocket support

More than three years since the last major release, Oracle finally let the newest Java Enterprise Edition loose

Oracle will today launch Java EE 7, the newest
enterprise edition of the object-oriented language, with new
features tailored towards providing Java developers better support
for web programming.

Speaking to JAXenter, Oracle Vice President
of Software DevelopmentAnil Gaur outlined the main
three main themes for Java EE 7: delivering HTML5 dynamic scalable
applications, increasingdeveloper
productivity by reducing boilerplate code, and
meetingthe most demanding enterprise
requirements with two new JSRs (Concurrency Utility and Batch
APIs)

The release, the first under Oracle leadership,
has been hit with delays throughout the three years since Java EE
6. Originally set to arrive at the end of 2012, Oracle,
followingExpert Group advice, chose to delay
ambitious cloud features until Java EE 8 at the earliest.
Oracle’s Linda DeMichielput this down to a “lack
of maturity in the space for provisioning, multi-tenancy,
elasticity, and the deployment of applications in the
cloud.”

Another key JSR that missed out on the EE
release, isJCache, a caching API that has been in the
works for 12 years.

With several targeted features deferred, Java
developers may feel that the latest enterprise release doesn’t
offer a standout featureworth upgrading
for.

Forexample, the London Java
Community noted that the JMS 2.0 spec“could have been
more ambitious and broader in scope” in itsapproval
ballot. “The LJC views the messaging space as one
in which further standardisation is possible and desirable, and
urges interested JCP members to explore possibilities in this
space,” they added.

However, the end result does show a tremendous
amount of work (if nothing revolutionary), with 14 JSRs (10 updated
and 4 new) and 9 MSRs making the cut, as detailed below. In
total,187 Java professionals contributed to the
release from 32 companies. Notably, Red Hat led the CDI and Bean
Validation JSRs while IBM were in charge of the Batch
effort.

Oraclehasjumped the
gun slightly, releasing the reference implementation with the first
Java EE 7 application serverGlassfish
4.0. The popular NetBeans IDE has also received a
welcome update in time for Java EE 7, inNetBeans IDE
7.3.1.

A freeJava EE 7 Launch webinar, consisting of
strategy and technical keynotes as well as breakout sessions with
JSR leads, is scheduled for today at 9am PT, 12pm ET and 5pm BST.
It will be repeated at 9pm PT for timezones unable to make the
first.